


it won't be long 'til we return happy

by estrojenn



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, I'm sorry its all hurt, M/M, Post-Kingdom Hearts III
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:35:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23332468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/estrojenn/pseuds/estrojenn
Summary: a year without sora is a painful one for riku
Relationships: Kairi & Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Naminé & Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	it won't be long 'til we return happy

Sora never returned to him. He should have gone with Sora but he trusted Sora to keep his promise. His promise to return together. Kairi came back, clinging onto Riku--crying “I’m sorry” and “I don’t know where he went”. Riku tried to get more out of her, holding her shoulders tightly while his own tears started to fall. It was Aqua and Terra who guided Riku away, holding him close--afraid that Riku would shatter right then and there. 

Sora never thought things through. Back before their home fell into darkness Sora would injure himself constantly. A broken arm from falling out of a paopu tree--the fruit too far to reach. A sprained ankle from chasing a bully after he called Riku a girl because he had longer hair than most. A minor concussion from trying to out run Riku home and tripping on a pothole that still was not fixed (however he fought with Riku that yes he definitely would have won that race). 

Memories of Sora’s recklessness offered him little comfort.So the fact that Sora thought of this half-assed plan to save Kairi when no one knew where she had gone to and basically killed himself in the process, well, this was just completely in character for him. 

The first few days after returning to Destiny Islands dragged on. He tried to face Sora’s parents and found himself struggling to tell them that he did not know where their son was. They yelled, sobbing for their child they had already lost so many times. Kairi led him back to his own home--parents nonexistent, probably working the late shift--and to his own bed. 

She held him and cried into his shoulder, wishing for everything to go back the way it was. Riku slowly shifted each other to lie down on the bed and tucked her head under his chin. 

“We’ll find him soon,” Riku whispered, grateful that Kairi couldn’t see the tears threatening to spill. He refused to cry any more than the day Kairi returned to them. Riku’s heart ached for Sora but held comfort that their connection had not yet been severed. He could feel Sora out there, a faithline connecting their two souls as they had been from the moment they met each other. 

Kairi’s slow breathing is what he decided to focus on in the moment. His best friend had suffered so much due to Sora and Riku’s games--their constant competition. He knows that he never loved Kairi like Sora might have; he only wished to tease Sora, yet another competition to hold Sora’s attention because Riku was afraid of abandonment. He meant to tell Sora earlier, that he loved him, once they returned together to Destiny Islands. He may never have the chance ever again. 

Riku felt pressure from Kairi’s arms, holding him closer. The added pressure was welcome--it grounded him to this moment. He held her with slightly less force, scared to break her even though he knew she was stronger beyond imagination (he was just scared he’d lose her again too). They fell asleep together in Riku’s bed, and if his parents saw them, well, they never woke them up. 

That night he dreamed of a boy with bright blue eyes with unruly brunet hair calling Riku’s name softly from afar.

...

A few weeks later Riku found himself in Cid’s home in Radiant Garden. (Naminé convinced him to move after Kairi decided to undergo something experimental and find Sora through her own heart.) Cid had kept a room open for Sora whenever he dropped by when Radiant Garden was still known as Hollow Bastion. There were tiny trinkets scattered around the room like a charm from Queen Minnie, a jack-o-lantern that Riku swore those eyes followed him around the room, and most notably a picture of Sora, Kairi, and himself. This must have been right before Riku was consumed by the darkness. Before he leaned into the cruelty he knew was just second nature to him. He held the photo firmly, his eyes pricking and throat going tight at the sight of that goofy, careless smile and those ridiculous yellow shoes Sora adored. 

Riku rubbed his eyes and left the picture on the table, heading to the bed to continue unpacking the little he had left. His phone vibrated, probably a text from Naminé or Aqua, they were constantly checking in on him even if they denied it. 

From: Naminé  
(attachment: IMG_094.jpg)

It was a picture of a bee on the lavender plants that she, Aerith, and Leon planted the other day. Naminé was probably on her walk through the gardens, probably wearing the straw hat Riku gifted her from Destiny Islands. 

From: Naminé  
(attachment: IMG_095.jpg)

The selfie confirmed the thought.

To: Naminé

Having fun?

The response was like lightning.

From: Naminé

Come outside and join me! You’ll just sulk in your room anyway.

To: Naminé

OK, see you soon. 

Riku smiled to himself, grateful for the friends that remained, and quickly went down the stairs. He told Cid he was heading out to meet up with Naminé but all Cid did was grunt in response, way too distracted fixing some part for the gummi ship.

He saw Naminé among the flowers in front of the castle, taking pictures of the enchanted dragon snappers that Merlin brought them from a far off world. He walked up to her slowly, unsure of what to do while she tried to take the perfect picture and post it to her Kingstagram. 

“Hello, Riku,” Naminé broke the silence.

“Ah, hey Naminé,” Riku stood off awkwardly, hand running through his hair.

Naminé stood up to face him; content with the picture she posted and tagged. She looked at him critically, and raised one hand up to his cheek. He faltered, unsure of what to do, uncomfortable with the touch (Sora was the only one to easily touch him, not that Riku had no reaction to it). Her hand lowered and grasped onto a few strands of his hair and then finally retracted her hand back. 

“Your hair is getting long again. Don’t you think you should trim it?”

“Yeah probably, I’m just very bad at cutting my own hair.” 

This was true. He once tried to cut his bangs and ended up wearing a hat to cover it up until Sora had badgered him so much that he took it off. Sora never made fun of him, even though Riku might have if their roles were switched (he doesn’t know why his instinct was to be so mean). Instead, Sora called for Kairi and helped fix his hair into something semi-presentable for those few weeks while it grew out (Sora could not be trusted with scissors).

“I’ll help you out. And then maybe we can talk about why you haven’t been sleeping well.”

Riku sighed but knew it was best to not argue with Naminé. She always found a way to win.  
..

A year later and Riku’s dreams had become more vivid. Sora had been appearing in them more often than not. Sometimes Riku would call out his name until Riku could no longer speak and his throat felt raw. Sometimes Sora would call for Riku and Riku would run on a never ending street looking for the source of the voice between the alleyways. 

At some point he could nearly feel the warmth that Sora radiated. He always ran hot and when Sora would launch himself at Riku it was like being gripped by the sun. So once Riku was ripped away from his dream it felt like being dunked into an ice bath. It took him a few moments every morning to recover and to swallow the hurt he felt in his throat.

Tonight’s dream was different. Cid and the others were recreating data to see if it held clues to Sora’s location and Cid was near a breakthrough. Riku could not help them, the technology was beyond his capacity to understand. 

Even if he could keep up Riku felt extremely dizzy and fatigued. He called Naminé excusing himself from their daily walk. Naminé said something but Riku failed to register it as he hung up and fell into bed, not even bothering with the covers, and slept. 

This dream was much more vivid than the others. He could feel Sora near--his heart tugging him in a direction that he was sure would lead him to Sora. He ran and nearly out of breath when he saw those stupid yellow shoes. 

“Sora!” Riku yelled. 

Sora turned around slowly, unsure of the source of voice.

“Riku? Is that you?”

“Of course it’s me I’m right in front of you!” Riku felt the desperation in his own voice.

“I don’t think I can see you. I’m stranded. I’m sorry Riku,” Sora croaked those last words. 

Riku tried to hold him, desperately reaching for the warmth he craved. His hands just passed through Sora, as if he were a ghost. A simple light projection. 

“Sora,” Riku started to cry, full sobs wracking his body. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. 

“Riku, please, don’t cry.” Sora’s own plea sounded wet, and if Riku tried to see through his own tears he’d see Sora’s tears fall. Oh how he wanted to be able to clear them from his face. To hold him close once again--something he can’t even do in his own dreams. 

“Riku. Riku, listen to me! We don’t have much time left!” Sora cried out and lowered himself to where Riku sat on his knees. “I will find my way back to you I promise.”

“Sora, please, tell me how to find you.” 

Sora’s eyes were unfocused; he wasn’t sure where to look except for the direction in which Riku’s voice came from. He looked like he was trying to find the right words, unsure what to say as time started to run out. Riku himself could feel ice start to tug him back. 

Sora raised his right hand to his heart. 

“I love you, Riku.”

Before Riku could respond he woke up with gasp, his face covered in the damp and salty tracks that his tears left. He didn’t notice Naminé and Aqua at the side of his bed. He couldn’t see their worried faces as he began to cry once again. The flood of tears that should have spilled in the first place over the course of a year could not stop. If Aqua or Naminé heard him whisper “I love you too” they did not mention it and only provided him the physical comfort he desired to keep him there in the present. 

He would find Sora again--to be greeted by his warm smile, to hold his freckled, warm hand, and to tell him that he loves him.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twitter to scream about riku: @khdamage
> 
> my friend made me write this and I finished it at 2 am I am sorry its all sad
> 
> title is from 'soon we'll be found' by Sia


End file.
